


Cyclical

by Alliance (Xazz)



Series: Cypress Hall [40]
Category: Flight Rising
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 14:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15798432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xazz/pseuds/Alliance





	Cyclical

Reza woke up in the Deeprealm. He immediately got to his feet and shook out his wings and looked up. Rahila said that while everything could change in the Deeprealm you could always guide yourself by the stars. They were constants. They had their own orbits and weren’t concerned with Sorienth’s singular passage of time. They might shift but they were predictable and followed an ordained route across the sky. Even if Reza didn’t have a map he could always reorientate himself with the stars.

Of course, why would he ever go into the Deeprealm without Rahila to guide him? Rahila knew Reza hated going there by himself but today he was alone. He gazed at the stars and learned their patterns as they swayed back and forth across the violet and indigo sky that was the Deeprealm’s day. There was still no sun. Just eight moons all in different phases. The only sun was at the horizon where he couldn’t see and the searing orange eye of the Lightweaver hardly dared to peer above the rim of the Deeprealm.

Once he’d orientated himself he set off quickly. The familiar mud and hard waters of the Hall gave way to the Field of Reeds and he kept going. He knew it was dangerous, more dangerous in the Deeprealm, but he didn’t let that stop him. The last time he’d been here what he’d sought was in the Deeprealm. He couldn’t remember in the waking world but in his dreams he remembered everything.

He could remember every cruel thing he’d said to Rahila. Every tear he’d made her shed. Every fight they’d had. Every time they’d screamed at each other hoarse because Reza was too stubborn to listen to her, to stubborn to listen even to himself. Every time he’d woken up and thought her face a stranger, or worse.

The reeds parted under his claws and he stopped out in the middle, looking up at the sky again. The wind tugged on his crest and he saw Hunters moving far off in the distance as great shadows against the moonlight. He flared his wings and they erupted into light. He should have been more worried about calling attention to himself but he meant business today. He didn’t want to see Rahila cry over him being an asshole ever again. He was getting his memories back or _so help him_.

The light from his wings illuminated the area around him but more than that. His eyes glowed and he could See. The past, present, and future were laid out before him and he could See everything the light touched. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again he snarled and ran off deeper into the Reeds, towards the Hewn City. Even in the Deeprealm the Hewn City was a place untouched by light but he didn’t have to go that far.

He stopped and Saw again, illuminating the area around brilliantly.

There.

A shadow in time.

He lurched a dozen paces and found the hole of the shadow. It was literally a hole in the ground, large enough for a dragon. He didn’t even think. He just opened his mouth and a huge gout of light exploded from between his jaws, searing the solid time and illuminating the darkness. The beam reflected off the hide of a dragon much larger than him with eyes like the moon.

Reza growled and even as he stepped deeper into the cave the shadow of the dragon shrunk away. “Leave me alone!” he yelled into the darkness.

There was a brief silence. “No.” The word crawled out from the shadow of the hole and grated against his ears like a hollow bell. “Unless you give me the map.”

Map? Rahila’s map? He’d never seen the map but knew Rahila would rather die than lose it. “How about I just sear you instead?” he snarled and reared back, a light beam collecting between his jaws.

The dragon in the shadows moved but in the darkness of the Deeprealm’s daylight Reza could only see their form of a Guardian but not who or what they were beyond that. “Then wake up.” The light died in his mouth and his eyes widened when the Guardian lunged at him with more speed than expected and their snapping turtle-like jaws snapped right around his head.

Reza woke up gasping and grabbed at his chest and neck frantically. “Reza, what’s wrong? I heard you yelling,” he looked up, it was Moon, her blue eyes wide and concerned.

“O-oh, i-it was nothing, just a dream,” he gasped.

Moon frowned down at him. “Your dreams are never just dreams, Reza, Spayar’s told us all that.”

“I’m fine,” he said, trying to get himself under control but his heart was still hammering.

“Should I tell Rahila?”

He gave her a confused look. “Why would you tell Rahila?”

Moon sighed. “Right. Well, don’t yell at her again.”

“What?” he didn’t understand what she was talking about. Moon had no patience for him at all and just gave him a look.

“I’ll tell Rahila,” and she left him under the tree where he’d fallen asleep.

“What? Moon!” he tried to scramble to his feet but his legs felt stupid and as soon as he was vertical he got a horrible headache and crumpled again. “What are you going to tell Rahila?” he called after her.

“That you forgot again,” she called back but didn’t return to him. Reza just slumped against the tree, holding the trunk and his head in agony. What had he forgotten this time?


End file.
